Match Officials For 2010 RBS 6 Nations
The IRB has announced the match official appointments for the 2010 RBS 6 Nations Championship, which begins on Saturday, February 6.
A selection of 13 referees will preside over the 15 matches which comprise the northern Hemisphere’s premier annual international competition, with Frenchman Romain Poite kickstarting the Championship on February 6 when defending champions Ireland begin their campaign against Italy at Croke Park.
England’s Wayne Barnes and Jonathan Kaplan of South Africa are the only referees to be appointed to two matches.
Alain Rolland, Alan Lewis, George Clancy (all Ireland), Dave Pearson (England), Craig Joubert, Marius Jonker, Mark Lawrence (all South Africa), Christophe Berdos (France), Nigel Owens (Wales) and Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand) will take charge of one match each.
The England v Wales game will be an all Irish affair with 2007 Rugby World Cup final referee Rolland in charge, assisted by Clancy and Simon McDowell.
Clancy will then be in charge of the Wales v Scotland tie, with the assistance of Rolland and Peter Fitzgibbon. The experienced Lewis also takes charge of the France v Italy clash in March.
In an interesting aside, both Fitzgibbon and Clancy will officiate in the French Top 14 Championship in January with two French referees taking charge of Magners League games later in the year.
This is the first time that Irish referees have officiated in the French Top 14 Championship.
Fitzgibbon will take charge of the clash between Castres and Stade Francais, while Clancy will be the man in the middle for Biarritz v Toulouse. Jerome Garces and Romain Poite will handle Leinster v Connacht and Ulster v Connacht respectively.
With Poite in charge of Ireland’s opening game against Italy, it will give players a chance to get to know the newly-appointed French whistler.
Ireland’s games in the 2010 Championship are as follows:
Ireland v Italy – Romain Poite (France)
France v Ireland – Wayne Barnes (England)
England v Ireland – Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Ireland v Wales – Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Ireland v Scotland – Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
IRB REFEREE APPOINTMENTS – 2010 RBS 6 NATIONS:
February 6, 2.30pm: Ireland v Italy, Croke Park, Dublin; Referee: Romain Poite (France), Assistant Referees: Christophe Berdos, Jerome Garces (both France), TMO: Geoff Warren (England)
February 6, 5pm: England v Wales, Twickenham, London; Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Assistant Referees: George Clancy, Simon McDowell (both Ireland), TMO: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
February 7, 3pm: Scotland v France, Murrayfield, Edinburgh; Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales), Assistant Referees: Chris White (England), Tim Hayes (Wales), TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
February 13, 2pm: Wales v Scotland, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff; Referee: George Clancy (Ireland), Assistant Referees: Alain Rolland, Peter Fitzgibbon (both Ireland), TMO: Geoff Warren (England)
February 13, 5.30pm: France v Ireland, Stade de France, Paris; Referee: Wayne Barnes (England), Assistant Referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Stuart Terheege (England), TMO: Giulio De Santis (Italy)
February 14, 3.30pm: Italy v England, Stadio Flaminio, Rome; Referee: Christophe Berdos (France), Assistant Referees: Romain Poite, Pascal Gauzere (both France), TMO: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
February 26, 8pm: Wales v France, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff; Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa), Assistant Referees: Alan Lewis, Simon McDowell (both Ireland), TMO: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
February 27, 2.30pm: Italy v Scotland, Stadio Flaminio, Rome; Referee: Dave Pearson (England), Assistant Referees: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland), Tim Hayes (Wales), TMO: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)
February 27, 4pm: England v Ireland, Twickenham, London; Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa), Assistant Referees: Christophe Berdos (France), David Changleng (Scotland), TMO: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
March 13, 2.30pm: Ireland v Wales, Croke Park, Dublin; Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa), Assistant Referees: Dave Pearson (England), Peter Allan (Scotland), TMO: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
March 13, 5pm: Scotland v England, Murrayfield, Edinburgh; Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa), Assistant Referees: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland), Carlo Damasco (Italy), TMO: Giulio De Santis (Italy)
March 14, 3.30pm: France v Italy, Stade de France, Paris; Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland), Assistant Referees: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand), David Changleng (Scotland), TMO: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
March 20, 2.30pm: Wales v Italy, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff; Referee: Wayne Barnes (England), Assistant Referees: Marius Jonker (South Africa), Stuart Terheege (England), TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
March 20, 5pm: Ireland v Scotland, Croke Park, Dublin; Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa), Assistant Referees: Craig Joubert (South Africa), Jerome Garces (France), TMO: Giulio De Santis (Italy)
March 20, 8.45pm: France v England, Stade de France, Paris; Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand), Assistant Referees: Alain Rolland, Simon McDowell (both Ireland), TMO: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)